Teacher: Jonathan Delorme Office Location: Education Center, University of Maine at Farmington Office Hours: Monday and Friday, 2-3 PM E-mail: jonathan.delorme@maine.edu
Summary of Unit
World War II is not just a distant war that is left for historians to discuss. WWII is a culmination of civilization's failure to stop an evil from taking place on our planet. Studying WWII is synonymous with studying our world today. To truly learn from our past we must learn, analyze, and discuss the events that caused World War II as well as the consequences of said war. That is why in this unit we will be more focused on themes and ideals rather than memorizing facts, battles, and terminology. The events of World War II have direct impact on what our world looks like today. From geographical boundaries, to culture, and the conflicts that are present right now. I hope this unit will be a lesson in how the world works equally as much as WWII in general.
Establish Goals
Maine Learning Results Content Area: Social Studies Standard Label: E. History Standard: E1 Historical Knowledge, concepts, themes and patterns Grade Level Span: Grade 9-Diploma "World War II and Postwar United States 1939-1961"
Students understand major eras, major enduring themes and historic influences in the United States and World history including the roots of democratic philosophy, ideals and institutions in the World. Performance Indicators: a,b,c,d
Students will understand that
•history is the study of the past through primary and secondary sources and can help better the future.
•critically analyzing the themes, turning points, consequences, and people of World War II can help better their understandings of the world.
•ideals change over time and bias alters our perspective of history.v
Essential Questions
•How and why did World War II take place and why did the United States join the War? Use primary and secondary sources to back up your case.
•Why and how did the countries today become what they are due to World War II?
•How can one's perspective alter the story being told at the time and give evidence of changing ideals over time.
Students will know
•Important People and Places of WWII.
- Ex: Hitler, Stalin, FDR, Churchill
•Terminology of WWII.
- Ex: Allies, Axis, Blitzkrieg
•Important Events of WWII.
- Ex: D Day, VJ-Day, VE-Day
Students will be able to
•describe several key moments that led to United States involvement in World War II.
•evaluate the implications of the Depression on World War II.
•decide the Versailles Treaty's impact on the world today.
•argue that bias can create different views of historical events.
•imagine the world if the United States did not join World War II.
•recognize the importance of World War II had in shaping the boundaries of the globe today.
Performance Task Overview
You are part of a film making team looking for their next big break. The History Channel just contacted you to enter their competition to create a trailer for their new special on World War II. This trailer will be aired on the History Channel to increase anticipation for the special. History Channel executives want to target their whole audience and wish to go back to reporting about real historical drama. You and your team are to develop a trailer that showcases the main events and people of World War II while also creating an engaging and interesting trailer. Millions of views will see this, so make sure it is factual and exciting. The History Channel executives will judge who will be the winner. The team who makes the winning trailer will receive $100,000 and a free trip to History Channel headquarters in New York City.
Expectations
Absences:
I understand that school is not the only factor that is going on in life and that illness, death, and misfortune occur. However absenteeism, when is happens often, hurts not only the student but the class as a whole. There is no penalty for absences in my class but I expect that a student comes to my room to pick up any work that he or she may have missed. If a student knows ahead of time that they will be absent I expect them to set up a plan with me to get the work complete. I will be as flexible as possible and extensions may be granted determining on the situation. A student may email, call, or stop by my room to talk to me so we can work out a deal so that they can get the work done.
Plagiarism:
I will follow the district's policy on plagiarism. In the Social Sciences correct citations of researched material is important in all work. However, I will allow revisions of any work that has citations errors that is not clearly plagiarized. If a piece of work is clearly plagiarized then I will follow district guidelines in how to deal with the student. Concerning the revisions, all papers and projects of mine can be redone for full credit anytime during the year ending at the second to last week.
Assignments:
I strive for learning, and I am aware that everyone learns at different paces. As I have stated revisions can be submitted at anytime before the last week of school. However, this does not apply to late work. When the assignment is due I would rather see something then nothing at all. This way I can provide feedback and set up a system for revisions. Late work can be handed in but it will be marked 5 points off for every 2 days it is late. From the moment the late work is submitted it can then be revised for the most amount that can be achieved while factoring in the period that it was late.
Benchmarks Total Points: 200
•Blog: 40 points
Students will keep a unit long blog using blogger.com about current events and how they relate to the past. These blogs will be set up together as a class but students will be expected to blog about their experiences, what they found interesting, what questions they have, or any connections they see with the past and the future. I will expect two blogs a week from each student but more are welcome is the student desires to. Grammar, punctuation, and clarity will be accounted for in grading these blogs, but they are largely opinion pieces and a chance for students to share their knowledge on a weekly basis.
•Online Book: 20 points
Students will create an online book on bookr.com about how the Depression led to World War II. This online book will be made individually and must contain at least two hyperlinks to sites or videos concerning The Great Depression or World War II, along with at least five pictures from that time period. Students are to write a brief description on how the Depression was caused and what life was like during this time. Then, they will explain how The Great Depression made us apprehensive to go into World War II and how WWII ultimately got us out of our financial crisis. Students should focus less on events and dates and more on themes and connections between eras. There is no maximum length but the online book must be at least six pages long and include full citations.
•Website: 20 points
The class as a whole will create a website on wix.com about The Treaty Versailles. This website will explain who was involved at The Treaty of Versailles, what was the result of the treaty, and how it shaped the world and set us up for WWII. Each student will be responsible for a small portion of the website that is up to them. Together we will compile the information and a grade will be given to the whole class. The grade will be based off of how students worked together, the content they provided, and overall effort.
•Digital Poster: 20 points
Students will make an online poster using glogster.com that depicts three key moments of World War II. The key moments will be up to the students' choosing but must be run by me to determine if they are both interesting and important enough. Their glog must be visually appealing as well as factually sound. The three key moments can be depicted through video, audio, pictures, text, or any other way. But, students cannot depict all three events the same way.
•Video: 20 points
Students must impersonate one historical figure from World War II and record themselves on iMovie. Students will be able to choose anyone they desire but it must be run by me first. I will require them to write a script that closely resembles what they will record themselves saying. This is to ensure that no offense language or hurtful comments will be made. I want students to truly take on the role of their character and explain the War through their perspective. What do they think of the war? Who will win? Why? Are they a military person, a civilian, or an activist? Is the War worth it? All these questions and more will be considered. There is no maximum time limit but the presentation must last at least 4 minutes and include at least four manipulations using iMovie. This ranges from including music or sound effects, adding transitions, voice alteration, visual alteration, etc.
•Digital Presentation: 20 points
Students will use prezi.com to create two paths. One path will be about the true major events of World War II and the other will be about what they think would have happened if the United States never joined the war. I want students to be creative with this and have fun with exploring an alternative reality. The alternative reality is clearly opinionated, so it will be graded more on originality and thoughtfulness than anything else. The actual reality will be graded on how factual it is, how it is presented, and how important the events that they included were. Students must imbed videos and create their prezi in an interesting way. There must be at least 20 slides in all combining both realities to meet the minimum amount.
iMovie: 60 points
See performance task above.
Grading Scale
A (93 -100), A- (90 - 92), B+ (87 - 89), B (83 - 86), B- (80 - 82), C+(77 - 79), C (73-76), C- (70 - 72), D+(67 - 69), D (63 - 66), D- (60 - 62), F (0 - 59).
Office Location: Education Center, University of Maine at Farmington
Office Hours: Monday and Friday, 2-3 PM
E-mail: jonathan.delorme@maine.edu
Summary of Unit
World War II is not just a distant war that is left for historians to discuss. WWII is a culmination of civilization's failure to stop an evil from taking place on our planet. Studying WWII is synonymous with studying our world today. To truly learn from our past we must learn, analyze, and discuss the events that caused World War II as well as the consequences of said war. That is why in this unit we will be more focused on themes and ideals rather than memorizing facts, battles, and terminology. The events of World War II have direct impact on what our world looks like today. From geographical boundaries, to culture, and the conflicts that are present right now. I hope this unit will be a lesson in how the world works equally as much as WWII in general.Establish Goals
Maine Learning ResultsContent Area: Social Studies
Standard Label: E. History
Standard: E1 Historical Knowledge, concepts, themes and patterns
Grade Level Span: Grade 9-Diploma "World War II and Postwar United States 1939-1961"
Students understand major eras, major enduring themes and historic influences in the United States and World history including the roots of democratic philosophy, ideals and institutions in the World.
Performance Indicators: a,b,c,d
Students will understand that
•history is the study of the past through primary and secondary sources and can help better the future.•critically analyzing the themes, turning points, consequences, and people of World War II can help better their understandings of the world.
•ideals change over time and bias alters our perspective of history.v
Essential Questions
•How and why did World War II take place and why did the United States join the War? Use primary and secondary sources to back up your case.•Why and how did the countries today become what they are due to World War II?
•How can one's perspective alter the story being told at the time and give evidence of changing ideals over time.
Students will know
•Important People and Places of WWII.- Ex: Hitler, Stalin, FDR, Churchill
•Terminology of WWII.
- Ex: Allies, Axis, Blitzkrieg
•Important Events of WWII.
- Ex: D Day, VJ-Day, VE-Day
Students will be able to
•describe several key moments that led to United States involvement in World War II.•evaluate the implications of the Depression on World War II.
•decide the Versailles Treaty's impact on the world today.
•argue that bias can create different views of historical events.
•imagine the world if the United States did not join World War II.
•recognize the importance of World War II had in shaping the boundaries of the globe today.
Performance Task Overview
You are part of a film making team looking for their next big break. The History Channel just contacted you to enter their competition to create a trailer for their new special on World War II. This trailer will be aired on the History Channel to increase anticipation for the special. History Channel executives want to target their whole audience and wish to go back to reporting about real historical drama. You and your team are to develop a trailer that showcases the main events and people of World War II while also creating an engaging and interesting trailer. Millions of views will see this, so make sure it is factual and exciting. The History Channel executives will judge who will be the winner. The team who makes the winning trailer will receive $100,000 and a free trip to History Channel headquarters in New York City.
Expectations
Absences:I understand that school is not the only factor that is going on in life and that illness, death, and misfortune occur. However absenteeism, when is happens often, hurts not only the student but the class as a whole. There is no penalty for absences in my class but I expect that a student comes to my room to pick up any work that he or she may have missed. If a student knows ahead of time that they will be absent I expect them to set up a plan with me to get the work complete. I will be as flexible as possible and extensions may be granted determining on the situation. A student may email, call, or stop by my room to talk to me so we can work out a deal so that they can get the work done.
Plagiarism:
I will follow the district's policy on plagiarism. In the Social Sciences correct citations of researched material is important in all work. However, I will allow revisions of any work that has citations errors that is not clearly plagiarized. If a piece of work is clearly plagiarized then I will follow district guidelines in how to deal with the student. Concerning the revisions, all papers and projects of mine can be redone for full credit anytime during the year ending at the second to last week.
Assignments:
I strive for learning, and I am aware that everyone learns at different paces. As I have stated revisions can be submitted at anytime before the last week of school. However, this does not apply to late work. When the assignment is due I would rather see something then nothing at all. This way I can provide feedback and set up a system for revisions. Late work can be handed in but it will be marked 5 points off for every 2 days it is late. From the moment the late work is submitted it can then be revised for the most amount that can be achieved while factoring in the period that it was late.
Benchmarks Total Points: 200
•Blog: 40 pointsStudents will keep a unit long blog using blogger.com about current events and how they relate to the past. These blogs will be set up together as a class but students will be expected to blog about their experiences, what they found interesting, what questions they have, or any connections they see with the past and the future. I will expect two blogs a week from each student but more are welcome is the student desires to. Grammar, punctuation, and clarity will be accounted for in grading these blogs, but they are largely opinion pieces and a chance for students to share their knowledge on a weekly basis.
•Online Book: 20 points
Students will create an online book on bookr.com about how the Depression led to World War II. This online book will be made individually and must contain at least two hyperlinks to sites or videos concerning The Great Depression or World War II, along with at least five pictures from that time period. Students are to write a brief description on how the Depression was caused and what life was like during this time. Then, they will explain how The Great Depression made us apprehensive to go into World War II and how WWII ultimately got us out of our financial crisis. Students should focus less on events and dates and more on themes and connections between eras. There is no maximum length but the online book must be at least six pages long and include full citations.
•Website: 20 points
The class as a whole will create a website on wix.com about The Treaty Versailles. This website will explain who was involved at The Treaty of Versailles, what was the result of the treaty, and how it shaped the world and set us up for WWII. Each student will be responsible for a small portion of the website that is up to them. Together we will compile the information and a grade will be given to the whole class. The grade will be based off of how students worked together, the content they provided, and overall effort.
•Digital Poster: 20 points
Students will make an online poster using glogster.com that depicts three key moments of World War II. The key moments will be up to the students' choosing but must be run by me to determine if they are both interesting and important enough. Their glog must be visually appealing as well as factually sound. The three key moments can be depicted through video, audio, pictures, text, or any other way. But, students cannot depict all three events the same way.
•Video: 20 points
Students must impersonate one historical figure from World War II and record themselves on iMovie. Students will be able to choose anyone they desire but it must be run by me first. I will require them to write a script that closely resembles what they will record themselves saying. This is to ensure that no offense language or hurtful comments will be made. I want students to truly take on the role of their character and explain the War through their perspective. What do they think of the war? Who will win? Why? Are they a military person, a civilian, or an activist? Is the War worth it? All these questions and more will be considered. There is no maximum time limit but the presentation must last at least 4 minutes and include at least four manipulations using iMovie. This ranges from including music or sound effects, adding transitions, voice alteration, visual alteration, etc.
•Digital Presentation: 20 points
Students will use prezi.com to create two paths. One path will be about the true major events of World War II and the other will be about what they think would have happened if the United States never joined the war. I want students to be creative with this and have fun with exploring an alternative reality. The alternative reality is clearly opinionated, so it will be graded more on originality and thoughtfulness than anything else. The actual reality will be graded on how factual it is, how it is presented, and how important the events that they included were. Students must imbed videos and create their prezi in an interesting way. There must be at least 20 slides in all combining both realities to meet the minimum amount.
iMovie: 60 points
See performance task above.
Grading Scale
A (93 -100), A- (90 - 92), B+ (87 - 89), B (83 - 86), B- (80 - 82), C+(77 - 79), C (73-76), C- (70 - 72), D+(67 - 69), D (63 - 66), D- (60 - 62), F (0 - 59).